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Democracy & Civic Engagement

Democracy thrives when informed, active, and humane citizens coexist with institutions that uphold the rule of law and shared values. Yet we see every day how fragile democracy can be. Investigate cornerstones of successful democracies, including religious freedom, a free press, media literacy, and living with difference.

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Unemployed woman living in Weimar Germany advertises her skills. Translation: "Hello! I'm looking for work. I can do shorthand and typing, can speak French and English, will accept any type of household job and can do anything that demands an attentive mind."

Facing History and Ourselves celebrates the addition of the word "upstander" to the Oxford English Dictionary. Students in Facing History classrooms learn about the power of individual choices to shape history and explore how each of us can participate as citizens to create a more humane, just and compassionate world. With the readings and resources collected below, we invite you and your students to discover what it means to be an Upstander.

The following scholars, prominent authors, and notable public figures contributed to Facing History's new publication, Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry: Reflections On Our First President’s Famous 1790 Letter To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. Find more about the contributors here.

Facing History and Ourselves, in partnership with the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom has launched the Give Bigotry No Sanction project to inspire thoughtful conversation about matters of religious freedom.